[PDF] Glossary - Latin American & Iberian Institute

25564_5glossary.pdf

UNM Latin American & Iberian Institute | 81

Glossary

A note on the succeeding terms: The words in this glossary are all associated with Día de los Muertosd albeit

in different capacities and settings. They come from English, Spanish, and Nahuatl. The authors of this

guide assume the reader is pro?cient in English and Spanish, but recognizes that Nahuatl, the language

spoken both among the Aztecs as well as by many contemporary indigenous groups, may be less familiar.

For reference, know that in Nahuatl, vowels are pronounced as they are in Spanish and consonants are pro

- nounced as they are in English except for the following examples (Morendo, 2007): x as "sh" in shell Mexica, Xochimilco z as "s" in suit Aztec, Azcapotzalco hu as "w" in waste, weed Huchuetl ll as in fully Ollin, Calli que, qui as "kay" or "kee" Quetzalcoatl cu as "kw" in quasar, query Coatlicue, Cuicatl tl as in Tlingit Tlatoani, Tecpatl tz as in pretzel Tzompantli, Tzitzimime

ALFEÑIQUE

- Sugar ?gures, typically skulls, created and decorated for Día de los Muertos.

ALL SAINTS' DAY

- A Roman Catholic holiday traditionally held the ?rst Sunday after Pendtecost, All

Saints' Day celebrates the pantheon of Catholic Saints and generally dtakes place on October 31st and No

- vember 1st. In Spanish, it is known as "El Día de Todos los Santos."

ALL SOULS' DAY

- A Roman Catholic holiday traditionally held on the day after All Saints' Day. It is a

time when the living pray for the souls of the departed to pass from Purdgatory to Heaven; celebrations are

similar to All Saints' Day and Samhain. In Spanish, it is known as "El Día de Todos los Difuntos."

ANCIENT MAYA

- Refers to the ancient civilization in Central and Southern Mexico adnd Central America which had a Pre-classical period from 2000 B.C.E. to AD 250 and a Classic periods from AD 250-900.

They had a written language and were masters of architecture, art, farming, mathematics and astronomy.

Note that care should be exercised when using the term simply "Maya" rather than "Ancient Maya" to refer

to this cultural epoch and people, as many Mayan peoples are still alive today and practicing their own

vibrant, cultural traditions.

UNM Latin American & Iberian Institute | 82ANGELITOS - Small children's souls, literally "little angels."

ÁNIMAS

- Souls, often depicted as ?gures which in turn represent the souls of the dedad. AZTEC - Refers to a group of Nahuatl-speaking indigenous peoples who, through warfare, trade and

cultural assimilation, took over neighboring indigenous peoples and created a vast empire. The core of the

empire was located in Tenochtitlan - modern day Mexico City. The Aztec reigned from the late 1200s until

they were conquered by the Spanish (led by Hernán Cortéz) in thed middle to late 1500s. Also know as

Mexica.

CALACAS - A slang term for skull or death, usually shown as skeletal ?gure carved from wood, stone or

candy. Many times, skeletons depict the joyous and irreverant attitude of Day of the Dead.d They are gener-

ally extravagantly dressed and shown dancing, laughing, playing music, etc.

CALAVERAS

- Skulls, generally, but also used to refer to satiric poetry and mock obituaries. This term is commonly used to refer to José Posada's prints of skeleton ?gures.

CALAVERA CATRINA

- The name associated with José Guadalupe Posada's most iconic skeletal ?gure.

Also referred to simply as "Catrina."

CEMPASÚCHITL

- Marigold ?owers, also known as "?or de muerto." Marigolds are a commonplace fea -

ture among Día de los Muertos ceremonies as their strong scent is beldieved to help guide the deceased back

to the land of the living. Marigolds are often placed in the shape of a cross, displayed across an ofrenda,

or used as a path of petals to help the deceased ?nd the home in whicdh they once lived. Also spelled zem

-

pasuchitl, cempoaxochitl, and sempasuchitl. The word is derived from the Nahuatl language and means

"twenty-?our," which refers to the thick and numerous petals of the ?ower. Nahuatl is the language spo

- ken by the Aztecs and other ancient Mesoamerican cultures.

CHICHIHUACUAUHCO

- Also known as TONACACUAUHTITLAN, this is a Nahuatl term whose

closest translation is "in the wet-nurse ttree." It is used to refer to a paradise orchard in Aztec mythol

-

ogy. It was believed that infants who had died went to this afterlife reserdved speci?cally for them. It was

believed that any infant which died while still nursing was innocent, having not yet had the opportunity to

eat directly from the earth and thus had no debt to pay to the gods. Because of their innocence, the gods

UNM Latin American & Iberian Institute | 83protected these children and ensured that they would be well sustained bdy trees whose branches produced

breasts that dripped milk to the infants.

CODEX - Plural, codices. An English term for the painted hieroglyphic books that were the writtend docu

- ments of Mesoamerican cultures, particularly the Aztec and Maya.

CONQUISTADOR

- Spanish term for conqueror. In modern context, it is used to describe the Spanish

who colonized the Americas starting in the mid-1500s. It should be noted that in some academic circles, this

term is considered politically incorrect as it assumes the complete decidmation and assimilation of a people

whose culture, language and heritage still remain strong to this day. COPAL - Incense made from hardened tree resin. Copal is commonly used in ceremonies of all kinds by

indigenous peoples in Mexico and northern Central America. It is used during Día de los Muertos ceremo

-

nies because it is believed that the strong smell of copal will held heldp guide the deceased back to the land of

the living.

DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS

- The Latin American term for the combined celebrations on Nov. 1 and Nov. 2.

Literally, "Day of the Dead."

ESQUELETOS

- Spanish term for "Skeleton," the de?nition for which provides more information. HUESO - The Spanish term for "bone." Huesos appear in Día de los Muertos celebrations in many for- mats, from the skeletal prints to the bones on the traditional pan de muerto dbreads.

JOSÉ GUADALUPE POSADA

- a major ?gure (1852-1913) in Mexican media, popular around the turn on

the 20th century. Posada is known for his calavera prints that satirized the political, economic and cultural

times of the Mexican Revolution. His Calavera Catrina has become perhaps the most popular symbol of

Day of the Dead.

MESOAMERICA

- Mesoamerica, an area that is generally acknowledged to include Mexico, Guatemala,

Belize, Honduras, and El Salvador, though several scholars also cite Nicaragua and Costa Rica as part of idts

boundaries. "Mesoamerica" is an historical term; there is no such region in existence today. Instead, when

scholars refer to Mesoamerica, they refer to a historical commonality of culture and language shared bdy the

peoples of the region.

UNM Latin American & Iberian Institute | 84MICCAILHUITONTLI - Male Aztec deity presiding over the dead.

MICTECACIHUATL

- Female Aztec deity presiding over the dead.

MICTLÁN

- A Nahuatl-term which translates to "the place of the dead," or what is often understood as

the "underworld." Mictlán was one of four destinations in Aztec culture to which the deceased could go.

It was a place described as the belly of the earth. This was not an ethereal or ?gurative description, but

rather a way of describing a very real physical place. Mictlán was the eventual destination for all people

who had died of natural causes, diseases, or accidents. Individuals destined for Mictlán had to complete an

arduous journey consisting of natural obstacles which had to be overcomed through nine separate phases.

This travel was thought to take up to four years to complete. In Aztec culture, it was believed that once an

individual's soul had reached Mictlán, then that person's "essence" would no longer exist in the conscious

-

ness of those still living. This was cause for many philosophers and artists to contemplate death andd its

meaning.

OFRENDAS

- Spanish word literally meaning "offerings" but more often translated as "altars." Created

during the Day of the Dead, ofrendas are decorated table-top arrangements that offer favorite foodsd and

snacks to the deceased; often elaborately decorated with marigolds, bright paper, lights, candles, cloth and

retratos of the departed.

PAN DE MUERTO

S - Bread of the Dead. Traditionally sweet bread decorated for Day of the Dead celebra - tions and offerings on the ofrenda.

PAPEL PICADO -

A Spanish term literally meaning "cut paper." Papel picado is an art form associated with

Día de los Muertos. Traditionally, colorful sheets of thin tissue paper are cut into intricate designs andd left

to ?utter in the wind. Their ephemeral nature (tissue paper disolves easily in the nature elemdents) and their

vulnerability to breezes ensure that they symbolize not only the naturald element of wind, but also humans'

?eeting existence.

RETATRO

- Spanish term for portrait or likeness. Retratos of the deceased are a common part of Día de los Muertos ofrendas.

SAMHAIN - a Celtic festival marking the end of the harvest season tradditionally held on October 31st

UNM Latin American & Iberian Institute | 85through November 1st. It was believed that the world opened up enough for the spirits of the ddead to come

from the underworld and visit the world of the living. Samhain was celebrated with feasts, music and danc

- ing.

TENOCHTITLAN -

The main city of the Aztec empire and what is now known as Mexico City.

TLALOCAN

- The realm of the afterlife ruled over by Tlaloc, the Aztec deity of rain, and his consort Chal - chiuhtlicue.

TONACACUAUHTITLAN - See entry for

CHICHIHUACUAUHCO.

TONATIUH - the Aztec name for the Sun God. Warriors were especially revered in Aztec culture and are

believed to walk the eternal life with the Sun God, unlike those who are destined to perish in Mictlán.

VEINTENA

- Monthly celebrations and rituals held by the Aztecs to honor different elements of their reli - gion and agricultural practices. XOCHITL - A Nahuatl word generally meaning "?ower."